From Sahara to Byju’s: What explains Indian cricket’s jersey jinx

Being the jersey sponsor for the Indian cricket team means a big outgo, but promises a lot of visibility in return. It is the first thing that catches the attention of viewer on television or the spectator in the stands. Inevitably, the name of the brand gets stuck in the mind and that is what the sponsor wants. Sound marketing logic would say this is big bang for the buck.  

India’s first major win in one day cricket was in 1983. As underdogs, it clinched the Prudential World Cup. That was the era when the game was, largely, played in whites and sponsorship was not even spoken of. One important moment was coloured clothing in 1985 during the trip to Australia for the Benson & Hedges Series, a tournament that India won. But it was not until the 1996 Wills World Cup that the logo on the jersey became a talking point. As luck would have it, starting the early 2000s, most companies or groups that cut a cheque for the prized possession saw their business fortunes being seriously challenged.   

The first instance was the Sahara Group with its Sahara Pariwar logo. The entity ran diverse businesses such as publishing, financial services, real estate, television broadcasting apart from acquiring hotels in London and New York. Over time, most of these came apart leading to several legal tangles. Star India and Oppo, both large players in their respective businesses of television media and handsets, picked up the rights subsequently.   

In 2019, edtech company, Byju’s replaced Oppo after signing an estimated $35 million deal. After a period of sustained losses, the company, early this year, said it would not renew the sponsorship. As things stand, Byju’s has had a host of issues including its auditors stepping down as also three board members with the financials being severely delayed. In late June, Dream11, a fantasy gaming platform, came aboard in a Rs 358-crore deal. A few days, the government’s decision to impose a flat GST rate of 28 per cent on all online games left the industry in a difficult position.  

Harish Bijoor, a brand domain specialist and owner Harish Bijoor Consults Inc, says India has always been a country that is big on superstition. “Be it politicians, sportsmen, film stars, everybody has a bit of it. Now, a brand superstition can become a reality,” he thinks. On the more specific issue of the cricket jersey jinx, Bijoor’s view is something that happens once is an accident. “The second time is happenstance, the third instance is a trend and the fourth is damnation.”  

The superstition piece is something that brand managers too believe in and more so in era where social media is all-pervading. “South-East Asia is a big believer in superstition and that includes China and South Korea, with it being more pronounced in India.”